Mason clutched the wheel, his fingers racked with tension. “She’s making a run for it.”
“Think I don’t know that?”
For a moment he sat watching. Mere seconds ago, the woman had been minding her own business (perhaps even picking out a new victim—although they would never find out for sure). As soon as she’d turned and seen Evie heading her way, she hustled right out of there. Did she recognize her?
“She’s heading into the alleyway,” Evie said, pressing the headset to her ear. It no longer mattered that it was concealed under her hair.
“Don’t follow her. Do you understand me?” Something seemed off. Mason climbed out of the car, not prepared to let any harm come to his sister. He darted across the road and lost sight of Evie as she headed into the alley.
“Not…” The earpiece hissed, static crackling her voice. They were losing reception. Not good. “In… now…”
“Evie?” Mason stopped and held the phone close to his ear, his heart jackhammering against his ribs. “Are you there?” He looked at the mouth of the alley, dark and uninviting. The women to either side of it had parted, watching the chaos as if it were some kind of street performance.
“Don’t… Mason…” Evie said, her voice growing ever distant.
Something was wrong, he just knew it. Mason dove into the alley, wishing he’d brought the revolver from the office. If Lady Luck had done something to Evie, he would never forgive himself. He slowed to a jog.
Nothing.
The only light came from the single pale lamp at the other end of the alley, its reflection bouncing off a discarded wing mirror. Mason sprinted to the end, checking around him and half expecting to find her bleeding behind a dumpster.
“Evie!” he called, hanging up the phone as he emerged out the other end.
Two young girls stood watching him, looking amused. No, not amused… entertained.
Mason approached them.
“Did you see someone come by here?”
They looked at each other, as if they didn’t speak English.
“Did you see someone come by here?” he barked.
“Jeez,” the smaller one said. “Yeah, two women, arguing. Why, did you fuck one of them behind the other one’s back?”
The girl’s friend laughed, but not for long.
Mason shot forward, pushing one of the girls. “Tell me what happened. Now!”
“Get the fuck off me,” the girl said, surprised, and squirming like a worm on a hook.
“Tell me!”
“They were hitting each other! One of them threw something, okay?” She pointed farther down the sidewalk, either at or behind a set of stone steps leading up to a rundown house. “Now take your hands off me, creep.”
Mason let her go and rushed to the steps. Sweat beaded at his brow as he moved closer to the object on the ground, until it was finally recognizable. He stooped, picked it up, and held it in his fingers.
It was Evie’s earpiece, and she was nowhere to be seen.